Car-coupling



(No Model.)

W. T. SMITH.

` CAR GOUPLING. K No. 364,683. Patented. June 14, l1887.v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

VILLIAM TEOUMSEH SMITH, OF BELLEFONTAINE, OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 364,683, dated June 14, 1887.

Application tiled April 18, 1887. Serial No. 235,249. (No model.)

. following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in car-couplings; and it consists in a certain novel construction 'and arrangement of parts for service, fully set forth hereinafter, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

The object of the invention is to providea coupling which will not use the link and pin, as the same are very liable to get lost, (being loose,) and therefore are expensive when great numbers are used.

A further object is to provide va coupling which is simplerin construction and operation than those heretofore invented, andin which the coupling is certain. I attain these objects in the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side view of two couplers connected. Fig. 2 isalongitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan View thereof. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the couplers with the link thrown back. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the link, operatingrod, and plate dc-Y tached. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a modified form of link.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A designates the drawhead, having the recess B therein, the rear end 'of the said recess being reduced, as at B, and inclined rearwardly, as seen at B2, for a purpose hereinafter explained. G represents a transverse rod journaled in the sides of the said drawhead, having a lever or cross-head, D, on the outer end, and C is a plate having a barrel, O2, on one edge, through which passes the said rod C, and c is a pin to pass through aligned openingsin the said rod and barrel to secure the plate rigidly to the said rod within the recess B.

' E designates the coupling-link, comprising the shaft or shank e, the enlarged rear end, e',

having a slot, e2, therein to receive the plate O', and the head E', having the lateral ears f f and the downwardly-extending detentf, the front side of the said headbeing 'beveled or rounded, as shown` Vhen .the link is in a horizontal position,the shaft thereofis received i between thejaws H H in the front end of the draw-head, and thus held in position, the front side of the said jaws being beveled or rounded, as also is the supporting ledge or rest H', between the jaws, which ledge is designed as a rest for the shank of the link, to hold it in a horizontal position. The reverse sides of the said jaws and the rest or ledge are abrupt, for a purpose to be explained. be seen that as the link is pivoted between the walls of the draw-head at the rear end and projected horizontally forward, when the front rounded head thereof comes in contact with the front rounded sides of the ledge H and the jaws H of an opposing draw-head the said link will rise at the forward end, and after passing over the said jaws ,will drop, the detent f engaging behind the ledge H and .the ears ff engaging behind the jaws H H. As the front end or head ofthe link is very heavy, it will be seen that the said engage- ,ment will be very quickly and surely made,

' of the enlarged portion cf bear against the rear sides of the jaws H and receive all the strain, and when cars are passing a curve the links accommodate themselves thereto, as they have sufficient lateral play to be drawn slightly out of the direct line.

It will be evident that although both drawheads are providedwith links, only one is used to form a coupling, and when a coupling is aboutto be made one of the same is thrown back with the shank thereof in -the reduced portion B and resting on the inclined side B2, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and in full lines in Figs. l and 4.

To prevent the link from being displaced when in the elevated position, I provide the overhanging webs I I, to extend over theshoulders e3 ot' the link and prevent its withdrawal or displacement until the same is raised to a vertical position or inclined slightly forward.

It will now I also provide means in the draw-head, illustrated in the drawings, to form a connection with a link-and-pin coupler.

K is a flared mouth in the front end of the draw-head under the jaws H, and L is a vertical opening made in the ledge H and extending down through the said mouth to receive a couplingpin.

rlhe manner of operating the coupler, as herein described, is very simple and reliable. The rounded front end of the coupling-link must passup on the rounded surface of the jaws H, and should it happen by neglect or otherwise that when a coupling is about to be made bothof the links are extended, no evil consequences will follow, as the moment the rounded ends of the opposing links touch each other the said ends will rise, andone of the links is almost certain, when they reach their highest point, to slip or be thrown back out of the way and allow the other link to forni the coupling.

Fig. 6 Shows a link adapted to he used when the opposing coupling is lower, the shoulder or oll'set e heilig designed to lower the head some distance. It will be seen, however, that this is not necessary except in extreme cases, as the links, as shown in connection with the drawings, are adapted to couple even should one of the opposing drawheads be considerahly higher or lower than the other.

The construction ofthe coupler is very sinr ple, and it is made detachable to enable it to be easily made and put together. As is evident, the head is cast in a single block, the uneouplingrod is passed through the bearings in the sides of the head and also through the barrel or sleeve C2 ol the plate C", andthe pin c is passed through the aligned perforations in the said rod and sleeve to secure them together. It is now only necessary to place the slot in the rear end of the pin on the plate C', and the coupler is complete.

The coupler may be adapted to operate from the top ofthe car by simply securing the lower end ofa rod pivotally to the end of the lever or an arm of the cross-head, and carrying the said rod to the top of thc ear within reach ot the train-hands.

Having now described the construction, op-

eration, and advantages of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a car-coupling, the combination of the draw-head A, having the ledge H and the jaws H H in the front end thereof and beveled or rounded on the front:- side, and the pivoted link E, having ahead, E', lateral earsff, the detent f, the said head being beveled or rounded ou the front side, and the handle D on the side to operate said link, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. In a car-conpling, the combination of the d raw-head A, having the jaws H H and the rest H in the front end, the rod C, plate C', rigid with the said rod, lever or cross-head D on the outer end of the said rod, the link E, having an enlarged rea-r end, and the slot c2, to receive the said. plate C', substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a ear-coupling, the combination of the draw-head A, having the recess I3, reduced portion B', and the incline B, webs I, and detachablelink E, having the shank @and rearenlarged portion, e', provided with shoulders c, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

el. In a ear-coupling, the combination ofthe head A, unconpling-rod C, journaled therein, plate C', having the sleeve or barrel C, to receive the rod G, pin c, to pass through aligned openings in the said sleeve and rod, and the link E, having a slot in the rear end toreceive the said plate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a ear-coupling, the combination of the head A, having the beveled jaws H II in the frontend, the overhanging webs I, and the pivotcd link E, adapted to be detached from the coupler, and having an enlarged rear end, c', and the head E, substantial] as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto al'tixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

VILLI A M TICUMSEH SMITH.

Witnesses:

WALTER P. DAY, J. C. MMIII/ron. 

